Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,358 a month against $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala
Learn more

Guatemala Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in Guatemala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Costa Rica and in Guatemala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,358 in Guatemala, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
Guatemala $1,358

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,099 in Guatemala, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
Guatemala $2,099

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,840 in Guatemala, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
Guatemala $2,840

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114) than in Guatemala ($743–$1,342), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 34% higher than in Guatemala on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$8.09 Q 61.8

39.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$51.2 Q 391

6.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$7.97 Q 60.9

38.27%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$3.58 Q 27.37

23.74%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₡1,055

$1.43 Q 10.90

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.14 Q 8.69

61.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$3.34 Q 25.51

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$5.28 Q 40.34

-13.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$2.10 Q 16.03

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$3.34 Q 25.52

6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$2.03 Q 15.53

35.96%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$2.44 Q 18.64

62.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$6.08 Q 46.46

72.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$9.95 Q 76.0

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$12.19 Q 93.2

14.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$4.04 Q 30.85

25.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$2.01 Q 15.39

-15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$4.46 Q 34.08

-22.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$1.71 Q 13.04

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$1.89 Q 14.45

82.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$2.16 Q 16.50

50.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$0.75 Q 5.77

45.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$1.23 Q 9.37

117.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$3.85 Q 29.44

39.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$8.28 Q 63.3

87.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.34 Q 17.85

17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$3.25 Q 24.82

1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.29 Q 9.87

-12.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$10.89 Q 83.2

501.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$5.33 Q 40.71

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

$1.71 Q 13.08

18.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

$10.49 Q 80.1

-14.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.37 Q 10.44

17.52%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$21.4K Q 163.4K

61.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$24.5K Q 187.1K

52.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$70.2 Q 537

35.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$31.89 Q 244

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$51.4 Q 393

13.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$38.60 Q 295

70.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$15.29 Q 117

45.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$6.67 Q 50.9

21.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$722 ₡325.9K

$350 Q 2,671

106.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$7,517 Q 57.4K

71.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$46.37 Q 354

62.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$50.6 Q 387

11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$106 Q 808

21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$108 Q 824

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$828 Q 6,327

15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$515 Q 3,939

37.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$1,558 Q 11.9K

12.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$880 Q 6,728

38.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$2,295 Q 17.5K

15.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$1,158 Q 8,849

58.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$660 Q 5,040

60.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

11.62

-17.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Guatemala

$515 38% 27.2% $193

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Guatemala

$298 21.9% 21.6% $82

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Guatemala

$169 12.5% 22.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Guatemala

$154 11.3% 17% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Guatemala

$140 10.3% 15.7% $26

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Guatemala

$30 2.2% 63.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Guatemala

$52 3.8% 36.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $698 in Guatemala. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $816 in Guatemala City.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $741 in Guatemala. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 509% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 47% higher in Costa Rica.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇬🇹 Guatemala

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

Same time as Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

17,263,239

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.56 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Guatemala 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Guatemala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Costa Rica vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $855 versus $698 in Guatemala.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Guatemala – part of why living there is about 25% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Guatemala, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Guatemala is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.